West Sussex is in south-east England and it has a population of approximately 780,000. The county town is Chichester. In the north of the county are the heavy clays and sands of the Weald. The chalk of the South Downs runs across the centre from east to west and in the south a coastal plain runs down to the English Channel. In England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are designated by Natural England, which is responsible for protecting England's natural environment. The most important wildlife and geological sites are designated as SSSIs in order to give them legal protection. As of July 2019 there are 77 SSSIs in West Sussex, of which 53 are biological, 18 are geological and 6 are both biological and geological. Twenty-four are Geological Conservation Review sites, fifteen are Nature Conservation Review sites, ten are Special Areas of Conservation, six are Special Protection Areas, five are internationally important Ramsar wetland sites, two are national nature reserves, seven are local nature reserves, parts of six are scheduled monuments, ten are managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust and one, which is partly in Surrey, is managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. Key Interest B = site of biological interest G = site of geological interest Public access FP = access to footpaths through the site only No = no public access to site PP = public access to part of site Yes = public access to all or most of the site Other classifications GCR = Geological Conservation Review site LNR = Local nature reserve NCR = Nature Conservation Review site NNR = National nature reserve Ramsar = Ramsar site, an internationally important wetland site SAC = Special Area of Conservation SM = Scheduled monument SPA = Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds SWT = Sussex Wildlife Trust SYWT = Surrey Wildlife Trust Sites See also List of Local Nature Reserves in West Sussex Sussex Wildlife Trust Notes References Sources West Sussex West Sussex-related lists